Grain distributor



1950 R. l. PATTERSON GRAIN DISTRIBUTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1946 INVENTO'F'RI NW6? 28, 1950 R. 1. PATTERSON 2,531,527 I GRAIN DISTRIBUTOR Filed Aug. 19 194 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N v Emu-0R F Y l. FYTTEESOIY Nov 28, 1950 1, PATTERSON 2,531,527

GRAIN DISTRIBUTOR Filed Aug. 19, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEHTORI FOY I PH T75R50 ATTORHE Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES ,TENT QF-FICE 1 fllaim- 1 My-invention relates to, grain distributors, andhas forits object tov provide meansfor delivering grain from one-or more grain elevator spouts to a multiplicity of outlethoppers and bin spouts running to a corresponding number of bins, in

combination with novel and highly eflicient means of controlling the shift of transfer spouts; from one to anotherof the outlet hoppers.

This application is animprovement of my applioation Ser. No;-634;026, filed December 10,1945.

In that application and, more particularly in other prior art constructions, where a series of: outlet hoppers were arranged to be connected with transfer spouts from -the-discharge of elevator leg spouts for deliveringthe grain to a selected-one ofthe outlet hoppers and bins, varying degrees of difiiculty have been experienced in moving thetranster spouts from one position to another and even greater difl'iculty in latching them in a proper delivery position and in releasing them for shifting to other delivery-p sitions.

A substantial: part of these di-ificulties have been satisfactorily met in the constructionofmy aforesaid application; wherein thegrain deliver-y spouts were-mounted to-rotate within a cylindri cal housing and to register withoutlet hoppers circumferentiall-y arranged aboutasaid casing.

My invention hereprovides novel and highly efiicientmeans of rotating the several delivery spouts within the casing and at the same time of unlatchingand-stopping and latching the delivery spouts inoperative position; all effected by a pull byhand on a single cord positioned at a point of convenient access by an operator.

It is apri-ncipal object of my invention, therefore, to provide -a-cylindrioal distributor casing having concentrically arranged transfer spouts, each formed with a discharge opening facing an elongated outlet hopper opening, which is so formed that grain from one or more of said transfer pipes will go with certainty and no spilling into the outlet hopper-and thence into the-bin spouts, in combination with cord-means which, when pulled by an operator, will simultaneously unlatch the transfer pipes to which the cordmeans is attached and rotate it, and when released will efiect latching of the particular transfer pipe in position so that its opening or mouth will register with the opening to the outlet hopper.

It "isa further object of my invention to provide; for each transfer pipe in the distributor a drum or pulley memben-and to mount-incomnection with said or-pulley' member a:

spring-actuateddetent and to connect with the inner end .of said detent a .cord carried over guide rollers to a convenient position tor-be vo.per-- ated, whereby pulling on the cord will first with- I. 1 draw from latchingengagement with the spring-' actuated .detentl and then will cause the drum and; the transfer pipe connected therewith to be. rotated untilxthe spring-actuated detent is released, which will stopfurtherrotation at a point to bring .the opening fronrthe. transfer spout into registry with the-opening to the selected outlet hopper.

} Itis afurtherobject of .my invention to mount the guide pulley directly-upon the drum to Whichthe-several transfer spouts are secured and to carry a cord over @some or all of. the saidguide pulleys to where the cord connects at its inner end with the inner end of a spring-actuated detent, whereby pulling on the cord will first pull out the detent and -flthen will rotate the-drum hopper.

It is a further object of my invention to pro vide a drumand-attached guide pulleys and an independentcord connected with an independent detent for each of the transfer spouts formed in the entire'distributor machine.

It is aiurther object of my'invention to number the outletspouts from one to the highest hum ber say sixteen outlet spoutsto carry these numbers on the beltwhich-through a-hahdcrank or prime mover powermeans, operates the pull cords, and to have the respective numbers-correspond =with the-detent position for anyof the outlet hoppers, so the operator, by stopping the tained will be particularly pointed out in the.

claim.

In the drawings. illustrating an application of. my invention in. one of .itslforms:

Fig. l-is a top plan -view of my distributor. as positioned for operationv in ail-elevator.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3A is a side elevation view above the top plate of the upper cylinder showing the manner in which grain is fed to the distributor.

Fig. 3B is a top plan sectional view taken on line 3B3B of Fig. 3A, with the elevator leg spout out of section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional fragmentary View taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the hopper for the upper transfer spout which receives the grain from an elevator leg spout.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation view of what is shown in Fig. 6.

As illustrated, a rectangular framework consisting of parallel supporting bars I8 and II' and connected bars I2 and I3 is supported upon beams I4 and I5.

This support is effected by extending the respective ends I6 and I1 and I8 and I9 to overlie the tops of beams I4 and I5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The beams I4 and I5 in turn are supported by beams or wall members 20 and 2|, forming parts of the structure of the building in which the distributor is installed.

A cylindrical casing 22 is supported at its lower edge upon a rectangular frame consisting of the members I0, II, I2 and I3, which are shown as angle irons. A top 23 closes the upper end of the cylinder 22 except for openings 24 and 25 and an air opening 26, as shown in Fig. 1.

The opening 24 is circular and at the center of the cylindrical casing 22, and is concentric with its walls. This opening 24 receives the end 21 of a hopper feed spout from hopper II9, by which the grain handled by the distributor is delivered to the vertical part 28 of an angularly disposed transfer spout 29.

Into the opening 25, Fig. 1, extends a second hopper feed 31 which connects with a hopper in all respects similar to hopper H9. The hopper feed spouts 21 and 31 are sealed into the top wall 23. This hopper is like hopper 21, excepting that it has a square opening at its lower end corresponding to the opening 25 in Fig. 1.

These hoppers H9 have an expanded end formed with upper and lower lips I20 and I2I, to which are secured bifurcated members I22 and I23 which are formed with sealing slots I24 and I25, Fig. 3B. Plate I25 has its edges mounted to slide on the slots I23 and I24.

Extended therethrough and sealed to plate I26 is a leg spout I36 running from an elevator leg I21.

This arrangement takes care of any settling of the elevator or of elevator floors supporting the distributor through the beams I4 and I5 which customarily takes place in grain elevators when the bins become filled and are heavily loaded, for the plate I26 is free to slide in the sealing slots I24 and I25.

The opening 26 in top plate 23, as clearly shown in Fig. l, at the same time opens into the annular hopper space 38 and into the space within the entire casing indicated at I28 in Fig. 3. Extending from this opening 26 is a pipe I29, Fig. 3, which connects with a pipe I30. The pipe I30 has a blower I3I therein which continually draws air through opening 26, pipe I29, and pipe I38 to discharge it through a pipe I32 outside of the system.

This arrangement insures that the dust in the system both inside and outside the grain delivery channels will be withdrawn from the distributor as the grain is fed and that the grain will go to the bins free from dust.

The spout 28-29 is supported by a bar 30 extending along the axial center line of spout 21 and connected at 3| to transfer spout 29. A brace member 32 connected at 33 with the vertical support 30 and at 34 with the transfer spout 29 further supports the transfer spout.

The extended end 35 of rod 30 enters a thrust bearing 36 supported in the manner hereinafter described.

The top 23 has reinforced support by transverse angles 39 and 48, Figs. 1 and 3, which angles are secured to said top 23 and extend to the outer walls of cylindrical casing 22.

Suspended from the frame made up of the angles II], II, I2 and I3 is a lower section made up of a series of outlet hoppers 4| and a lower cylindrical member 42. The support for this lower section is clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. It consists of bolts 43 extending in pairs through the several frame members I0, II, I2 and I3 so spaced as to come between pairs of outlet hoppers 4|.

The upper ends of the bolts go through the above noted frame members and are secured by nuts 44, as indicated in Fig. 5. The lower ends of bolts 43 go through bracket members 45, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, which bracket members are secured to the lower cylindrical casing member 42.

Nuts 46 and 4'! on either side of the supporting portion 48 of bracket members 45 secure the outlet hoppers in position in a circular ring in the following manner.

At the upper edge of the outside sloping wall 49 of the hoppers 4| there is formed an offset angle 50 shown in cross-section in Fig. 5. And at the top of lower wall 5| is formed a V-shaped bend 52.

The offset angle part 58 fits against the lower edge of the cylinder casing 22, being curved in an arc to adapt itself for that purpose. The V- shaped bend 52 likewise fits over the lower cylindrical member 42. I

By tightening the bolts these outlet hoppers 4| are secured firmly in position. They are additionally secured by bolts running through pairs of adjacent side edges 53, Fig. 5, which bolts go through the bolt holes 54 there shown.

When the outlet hoppers are thus bolted together and pulled tight by the bolts 43 the entire assemblage is held together rigidly and yet so that any outlet hopper when worn or otherwise damaged can be removed or replaced by a new one.

The thrust bearing 36, which, through the rods 30 and 32, support the transfer spout 28, 29, is mounted upon a framework made up of radial rods 55, 56, 57 and 58, which cross and are united at the center directly under the thrust bearing 36, as shown in Fig. 2.

Additional secant rods 6| which bridge arcs of the circumferential boundary of the lower cylinder 42 further strengthen the drum or cylinder 42, which has attached to the lower part of it a funnel hopper 62. This hopper opens at its center 63 to discharge any grain which may come down from the grain conveying chutes 21 and 31, and it also conveys away overflow grain which might spill out from the outlet hoppers 4| in the event that the hoppers become clogged. By means of piping, not shown, this overflow grain'is conveyed back to the pit where the eleavera evatonilegsrwerer loading to; :convey. the agrainz' to the;distributor:through their delivery leg-i spouts.- Cross-bars; 59. and v69 carry at their ends arseri'esofpulleys .64, 65,.98yand 91, as clearly shown iniFigs'i-2 and 3.. These arms also carry a circulandrumcBB. The drum68 and the arms 59 and 169 arefa'st on the shaft. extension Aboutvthe drum 68 there is wound acord 99 which goes over a pulley 'I9,"Fig. 3, and is connected witha weight H. It follows that the weight ."II constantly tends to rotate the drum 68 and at the-same time to rotate the shaft 39 and the transfer spouts 28 and 29, all in a counterg-eclo'ckwise 1 direction.

From a. belt member 12 which runs-over. a pulley. I3 adapted to be operated by a hand crank I4 runs1a cord 15 which isattached at I6 to the boltmember I2. This cord runs over a guide pulley. .69 andover. the pulleys 99, 91, 64 and 95 in the orderv named and from pulley 65 runs over a .pulley I8 which guides it in a right line directionto the end- 11' of a latch bar I8.

Thelatch bar I8 is mounted on a bracket I9 secured to the bottom of transfer spout 29 and is impelled by a spring 99 surrounding it to projectatBI beyond the inner limits 92 of the side walls of outlet hoppers 4 I.

It follows that when the parts are at rest the projecting part BI of latch 'I will be forced by the gravity pull of weight II to engage a side wall of outlet hopper ll.

It also follows that when the crank arm 74 is turned to put pull on belt I2 and cord 15 the firsteffect of doing so will be to retract latch bar I6 against the pressure of spring 89 and withdraw the projected end ill from contact with the side wall of an outlet hopper 4|, after which the pull of the cord about the spaced pulleys 94, 55, 66..and 61 will cause the assemblage, consisting of the transfer spout 28 and 29, the supporting bars 39 and 32 and the drum 69 to rotate in a clock-wise direction to shift the position of the mouth of transfer spout 29 along the circumferential line of the openings into the transfer hoppers 4|. Numbers shown at II8 on the belt I2 indicate the position of the several hoppers (16 as shown) with relation to the rotation of the parts above noted, so, when the operator releases the crank member I I opposite any of these numbers, the spring 89 will force the latch member extension 8| into its outward position and the operation of the weight II will cause the extended latch bar part 8| to engage the side wall of the selected outlet hopper 4| with the result that the transfer spout 28, 29 is positioned to discharge grain from the elevator leg hopper 2'! into that outlet hopper, from which it will go to a selected bin.

As indicated in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, the annular hopper 38 for receiving grain from a second elevator leg hopper 3'! connects with a funnelshaped extension 83 which rotates outside of the transfer pipes 28 and 29 and above the portion of transfer pipe 29. This funnel-shaped member is supported by a drum member 89 having flanges 85 and 86 which provide a central channel 81.

As shown in Fig. 4, a series of supporting rollers 88 are mounted on shaft bars 99 which are held to the wall of drum 22 by nuts 99 and which are supported near the roller 88 by bracket member 9|. In this manner the annular hopper 98 and the parts connected therewith are mounted for free rotation about the central transfer spout 28.

. transfer spout- 83.

The drum 84 isifastpn'thexup'per' hopper cyline der 38 and supports it and the connectedfunnelshaped extension spout 83 for rotation about theaxial center oftransfer spout 28 and elevatoryleg;

hopper:2I;. Upon themember 28 are mountedta series .of brackets 99 whicncarry grooved pulleys 99, 9|, 92, 93 and. These pulleys, as clearly shown in Fig; 6, extend outside of the circumferentiallimi-ts of the cylindrical. member 38.

Each of. the brackets 89 is provided withan upstanding lip' 95, as: best shown in Fig. 3. This.

forms in effect a circumferential channel. About these channel sections extends a cord 96 which goes over: a guide pulley 91 and a large pulley 98, Figsal and 3, fromwhich it extends.

downwardly: to a suitably heavy weight 99 which tendstorotate theentire assemblage in a counter-clockwise direction.-

A belt I99, Fig. 3, runs over a Windlass pulley I9I having thereon a crank I92 and has connected at its upper end a cord I93. The cord I93 runs over a guide pulley I94 and under a second guide pulley I95 supported by a bracket I96 mounted on the upper surface of transfer spout 83, a stretch of the cord I93 extending along the surface of the cylindrical annular spout extension 38.

Fromunder the pulley I95 the cord I93 goes along the upper surface of the transfer spout B3 to the end I9! of a stop rod I98, to which end the cord I 93 'is'secured.

The stop rod I99 isextendedfor sliding movementsthrough openings I99 and H9 in guide angles-III. and H2 secured to the top of the A spring H3 is secured at onerendto the member land at the other end to a lug I I4 on the. stop rod. I98... The lower part II5 of stop rod I98 extends beyond the edges of walls of the opening H6 from the transfer spout 83,;in position to engage a side wall of any outlet hopper 9! which has been selected, as indicated on the scale I I1 on belt I99.

It follows that rotation of the crank arm I92 will have the effect first of drawing the stop rod E98 backward to bring the extension H5 away from the position where its lower part contacts a wall of outlet hopper 9|, andthen it will rotate in clockwise direction the assemblage supported by drum 84 about the axial center of casing drum 22 to present the outlet H9 of transfer spout 83 to register with the upper part of the opening 82 to any selected one of transfer hoppers ll.

t also follows that the transfer spouts 29 and 83 are capable of such movement independently to bring them to register with any selected one of the outlet hoppers i I, or to register together with any selected one of the outlet hoppers 4!.

And while I have shown two of said transfer spouts so operating, it is within the scope of my invention and is contemplated under requisite conditions, to have a greater number than two transfer spouts, each capable of being independently positioned in respect to any one of the outlet hoppers 4|, or all of them, and capable of being positioned to discharge simultaneously into a selected one of said outlet hoppers.

The advantages of my invention have been made to appear quite clearly in the foregoing specification. The fundamental and primary advantage resides in the fact, not only that a large number of outlet hoppers are conveniently and compactly arranged circumferentially, but that the movement of the several transfer spouts to register either singly or all together with selected ones of the outlet hoppers and then to lock them in position, and to unlock them, is effected by a single simple arrangement, whereby the windlass and crank for each of the sev" eral transfer spouts employed is given a; position adjacent to all their several operating means, so the entire operation of unlocking, moving each and every one or all of the transfer spouts and relockin them in position is accomplished by a single simple crank operation by an operator from one single convenient position.

A further great advantage of my invention resides in the fact that the outlet hoppers, and consequently the grain bins to which they are connected, are designated by numerals which appear on the Windlass belts so the operator can select the outlet hopper to which one or more of the transfer spouts can be made to discharge and can unfailingly make certain that the grain will be delivered to the selected hopper or hoppers.

A further advantage of my invention comes from the fact that there is a wide space across the opening of the outlet spouts 4! (see Fig. 1 and dotted lines at the bottom of Fig. 2) in which the rod end H5 of the stop rod 108 can pass when an operator releases the same at the cranks 74 or m2 and that the weight then pulls the stop end H5 over to contact with a side wall of the selected outlet hopper 4|, so a mis-positioning of the transfer spout to the wrong outlet hopper inlet is practically impossible.

Another advantage of my invention resides in its exceedingly compact and light construction considering the very large capacity for distribution, all of which lends itself to low cost and economical operation and upkeep,

I claim:

In combination with a grain distributor embodying a cylindrical casing having a multiplicity 8 of outlet hoppers secured about the extent of the cylindrical wall thereof and a rotatable transfer spout within the casing, gravity means adapted to apply force to said transfer spout to move it in one direction, .means fast on the transfer spout including a rod and a spring thereon for forcing it outwardly to engage a side wall of an outlet hopper for holding the transfer spout in fixed position facing the opening into a selected outlet hopper, means connected with the transfer spout which tends to rotate the transfer spout in one direction to cause the end of the rod to be held in engagement with a side wall of a hopper, and a cord directly connected with the inner end of the rod, whereby applying force to said cord first withdraws the rod from engagement with said side wall and thereafter acts to rotate the transfer spout in the opposite direction from that of the first named rotating means, release of the force applied to said cord at any point when the rod is opposite the opening into a se-' lected hopper acting to release the rod and to permit the first named rotating means to rotate the transfer spout until the rod engages the side wall of said newly selected hopper.

ROY I. PATTERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 481,080 Thompson 16, 1892- 647,?49 Hall Apr. 17, 1900 664,455 Baker Dec. 25, 1900 1,176,064 Kavanagh Mar. 21, 1916 1,195,838 Morgan Aug. 22, 1916 1,459,463 Bobeldyk June 19, 1923 2,219,226 Gerber Oct. 22, 1940 

